Introduction to the AdS/CFT correspondence / Horațiu Năstase, Institute for Theoretical Physics at the State University of São Paulo.

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Elements of quantum field theory and gauge theory -- Basics of general relativity. Anti-de Sitter space -- Basics of supersymmetry -- Basics of supergravity -- Kaluza-Klein dimensional reduction -- Black holes and p-branes -- String theory actions and spectra -- Elements of conformal field theory -- D-branes -- The AdS/CFT correspondence: motivation, definition and spectra -- Witten prescription and 3-point correlator calculations -- Holography in Lorentzian signature: Poincaré and global coordinates -- Solitonic objects in AdS/CFT -- Quarks and the Wilson loop -- Finite temperature and N = 4 SYM plasmas -- Scattering processes and gravitational shockwave limit -- The pp wave correspondence -- Spin chains -- Other conformal cases -- The 3 dimensional ABJM model vs. AdS4 and CP3 -- Gravity duals -- Holographic renormalization -- RG flow between fixed points -- Phenomenological gauge-gravity duality I: AdS/QCD -- Phenomenological gauge-gravity duality II: AdS/CMT -- Gluon scattering: The Alday-Maldacena prescription -- Holographic entanglement entropy: the Ryu-Takayanagi prescription.

Providing a pedagogical introduction to the rapidly developing field of AdS/CFT correspondence, this is one of the first texts to provide an accessible introduction to all the necessary concepts needed to engage with the methods, tools and applications of AdS/CFT. Without assuming anything beyond an introductory course in quantum field theory, it begins by guiding the reader through the basic concepts of field theory and gauge theory, general relativity, supersymmetry, supergravity, string theory and conformal field theory, before moving on to give a clear and rigorous account of AdS/CFT correspondence. The final section discusses the more specialised applications, including QCD, quark-gluon plasma and condensed matter. This book is self-contained and learner-focused, featuring numerous exercises and examples. It is essential reading for both students and researchers across the fields of particle, nuclear and condensed matter physics.